The Gibraltar director and cast presented their first play at a London theater known for its performance by Ian McKellen

GIBRALTAR’S own international playwright and a full cast of local actors presented their first play in London at a theater where Ian McKellen performs regularly.

Julian Felice described the moment his ‘Blue Whale’ aired at the British capital’s ‘Space’ theater as ‘the high point of my career as a playwright’.

His drama company Dramatis Personae performed on the same stage that Ian McKellen and soprano Marie McLaughlin regularly frequent.

The Gibraltar Ministry of Culture supported the production.

He promoted ‘Blue Whale’ as ‘a dark comedy of love and despair in an online world’.

The plot of the story tells of Lewis, a 30-year-old who goes through a series of challenges to try to woo an online date named Tash.

This process is full of humor and drama, it can be both thoughtful and trivial, a balance well orchestrated by Felice’s script.

Its title is a reference to the teen suicide game that spread from Russia to Ukraine to the United States.

It involved 50 challenges and the last one was a call to suicide.

Historic moment

Although Dramatis Personae have participated in festivals in the United Kingdom and in Gibraltar, this is the first time they have performed on a London stage.

Felice jumped on the idea after reading an article about the strategies men use to attract women and those who teach them.

“I am very interested in how people behave and the relationships between them,” he said.

“I think almost all the time we are playing a role, especially when we meet someone new.

“It’s a mask that we put on, and over time, when we’re more comfortable with that person, we start to be ourselves.”

Felice has won several awards at La Roca for her productions.

He’s done some Llanito comedy, but also tackled serious issues about teenage life in his plots.

Sam Bush stars as Lewis in the production, Natalia Bonavia plays the role of his internet lover Tash, while Chris Ablitt plays Lewis’ friend Karl.

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